Japan: First exception since 2011 Tsunami, Takahama reactors to carry on workinghttps://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/japan-first-exception-since-2011-earthquake-tsunami-kansai-electric-takahama-nuclear-reactors-to-carry-on-working-2864634/

Japan announces that two ageing nuclear reactors canstay on line up to 20 years. This is the first such exception since the 2011 nuclear meltdowns in Japan following an earthquake and tsunami .(representational image; Hiroko Harima/Kyodo News via AP)

Japanese regulators said on Monday that two ageing nuclear reactors can stay on line for up to 20 more years — the first such exception under tighter safety rules imposed after the 2011 Fukushima crisis.

Advertising

Environmental group Greenpeace criticised the decision, saying earthquake risks were being ignored.

Japan shut down dozens of reactors after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake-generated tsunami on March 11, 2011 triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant in the northeast, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

The ensuing decrease in nuclear power generation forced resource-poor Japan to turn to pricey fossil fuels. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared that nuclear power is essential for the economy as he pushes to get reactors back in operation.

Advertising

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Kansai Electric’s Takahama plant can operate for up to 20 more years because they meet safety guidelines.